On Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at an Otay Mesa commercial facility in San Diego County seized more than 3,100 pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, fentanyl pills and heroin as part what the DEA characterized as the second-largest methamphetamine bust along the southwest border in the history of the CBP. That's nearly. The US Customers and Border Protection on Oct. 9 recovered 3,014 pounds of the drug from a truck. Man Accused Of Dumping Dog At Riverside County Cell Tower Arrested, Fill Up And Get A Fatburger To Go: Beyond Food Mart Coming To Beaumont, Big Bear Bald Eagles Lay First Egg of 2023. Cocaine and meth were being distributed throughout the region from the location, which investigators identified in September, according to the DEA. "This is enough dope to prove a dose of meth for every man, woman and child in the United States and Mexico," DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea said. We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. The seizures by the two agencies are more than enough to provide a dose of meth for every man, woman and child in the United States and Mexico, Timothy Shea, acting administrator of the DEA, said Wednesday at a warehouse in Montebello. Originally from Miami, she holds a masters degree in journalism from USC. The officer referred the driver, truck and shipment for a more intensive inspection, which is when the illicit contraband was discovered, according to the DEA. In the 80s and 90s, Riverside County was a hotbed for meth manufacturing, and meth labs flourished here, taking advantage of the countys empty spaces to hide the foul smell of urine and smoke produced by mixing chemicals. Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. Industrial-sized labs moved to Mexico, where American laws are meaningless, and cartels now smuggle their product to their customer base in the U.S. Superficially,the shift has made Riverside County safer. Feds Bust Up Inland Empire Drug-Trafficking Ring . First published on October 14, 2020 / 10:20 PM. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced a record-breaking bust Wednesday: roughly 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine recovered in Riverside County. The Riverside office also seized nearly $47 million in cash, vehicles and guns during that three-year span. In April, Arkansas State Police found 275 poundsof meth worth an estimated $10 million hidden in a semi-truck on Interstate 40, about 10 miles east of Little Rock. Jeff Moore, the former narcotics prosecutor, compared the countys drug trafficking network to the San Bruno natural gas pipeline. Heres a timeline, Crusading vet treats some of L.A.s most cherished residents: The pets of skid row, The Times podcast: How the California GOP lost its national sway, Veterans claim anti-vet bias in Metros choice of muralist for a new VA station, California faces catastrophic flood dangers and a need to invest billions in protection, Caregiver sentenced to life in prison for unspeakable sexual abuse of disabled children. Since June, couriers and a stash house for the drugs were identified through ongoing surveillance, much of it conducted by Fontana Police Department personnel, authorities said. Narcotics seized during a bust Friday in Otay Mesa. A total of 23 arrests . Empty the trash in the bathroom. Roughly 1,600 pounds of meth were also located at a narcotics stash house in Perris, officials said. (Credit: DEA), another seizure earlier this month in San Diego. The DEA said it was not revealing the locations of the stash houses because detectives were still working on making arrests. "This is enough dope to provide a dose of meth for every man, woman and child in the United States and Mexico," DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea said. The robot fired, and tin and copper flak perforated the pipe like buckshot. The DEA decided this was the moment to strike. It looks just like someone coming home from work.. Massino, the DEA spokesman, insisted that everyday citizens would almost never have their conversations intercepted. Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. However, another federal agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, netted an even bigger amount of meth the following week. That pipeline begins south of the border, in a region of Mexico controlled by the Sinaloa cartel. Banning Double Homicide: Arraignment Scheduled Wednesday, Major League Soccer Preseason Kicks Off In Coachella Valley, Banning Child Porn Arrest: Desert Hot Springs Man Pleads Not Guilty, 5 People Killed In Desert Crash Identified By Coroner, 2 Candlelight Vigils Honor Slain RivCo Deputy Darnell Calhoun, Are You Registered For Alert RivCo In Banning? The drugs were intended for distribution in Southern California, including Los Angeles, according to DEA officials, who displayed the haul at the agencys warehouse in an undisclosed location in Los Angeles County. The arrests were announced during a news conference in Riverside Wednesday morning, where authorities said violent crime has risen dramatically during the pandemic. Traditionally, L.A. is the transportation hub, he said, noting that the city is north of many immigration checkpoints and is home to four airports, numerous freeways and countless package distribution centers. Be the first to know when news breaks in Coachella Valley. But officials were also careful to point out that the targets of the seizures were cartels and drug dealers, not addicts. Keep up with all the latest news, arts and culture, and TV highlights from KPBS. "These numbers are significant," said Kristi Johnson of the FBI. We are almost like the Costco warehouse of narcotics dealers, shipping this poison across the country, said Frank Pepper, assistant special agent in charge of the Riverside DEA Office. More than 70 investigators worked the two California cases, which included extensive fieldwork and surveillance. Behind him was a 10-foot pyramid comprised of contraband. Posted Wed, Jan 29, 2020 at 2:22 pm PT. 2023 www.desertsun.com. "Study after study shows that where there is meth addiction, there is also an uptick in violent crime, including robberies, assaults and murders.". If convicted, they face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in federal prison, with a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. A man was arrested on multiple charges during a drug bust in Columbus. Last year, four Coachella men were indicted as part of a conspiracy to move millions in Sinaloa drug profits from Canada to Mexico. January 10, 2023 at 5:40 p.m. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. City News Service contributed to this report. Twenty-five duffel bags loaded with cocaine, heroin and meth were seized, according to the DEA. As trafficking has expandedin Riverside County, so have efforts to stop it. Redding felon's drug sales arrest marks second drug bust in 11 days - Woman also arrested . In 2014, the county had 624 wiretaps, intercepting more than 2 million calls, texts and other communications involving more than 44,000 people. "We continue to work with our state and local partners to attack drug trafficking at all levels, and this seizure sends a clear message that we mean business.". And, just this month, they started conducting surveillance on a drug courier who they believed was managing a stash house in an undisclosed neighborhood in Moreno Valley. "I can't bear to think about families coming here and shopping and knowing this is going on," Tanya Rivas, another shopper, said. RIVERSIDE, California (AP) A former U.S. 11/22/2022 1:58 PM. It is not uncommon for a case that was initiated across the country say in Chicago, Atlanta or Little Rock to ultimately lead back to this area.. The loose dirt turned easy. Police say all the suspects are now facing felony charges. Despite the significant number of arrests, they said the massive size of these criminal drug rings is discouraging. Severe Weather "The cartels are aware of law enforcement efforts at the border, so what they'll do is they'll flood the border with multiple vehicles coming through," said FBI agent Andrew Sharp. Riverside. The investigation led to search warrants being served at narcotics stash houses in the Riverside County cities of Moreno Valley and Perris, east of Los Angeles. This is the third-busiest port of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border, and likely the largest for smuggled narcotics. "The Justice Department is committed to making our neighborhoods safer by aggressively disrupting drug cartel operations in the United States.". The DEA says ruralareas are ideal for stash houses because they are difficult to monitor, but other experts said surroundings dont really matter. REDDING, Calif., For the second time in less than two weeks a Redding felon, who was already on probation for drug sales, was busted again for fentanyl possession and sales yesterday after a citizen's tip led officers to an apartment the man . By Scott Schwebke. Authorities said it was the second-largest meth bust ever for Customs and Border Protection. The entrance to a drug tunnel discovered by federal authorities in Otay Mesa, March 30, 2020. Federal authorities on Wednesday showed off results of Southern California raids. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Tuesday, the Riverside police department announced the results of a three-month narcotics operation, in which undercover officers would buy illegal drugs from drug dealers. Federal agents announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust in U.S. history Wednesday, displaying a 10-foot high pile of the confiscated drug representing a haul of more than 2,200 . #DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea, Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner & local law enforcement discussing the largest domestic methamphetamine seizure in #DEA history. Anexample of one such house was uncovered in 2006, when the DEA raided a home in a far-flung corner of the Coachella Valley. Agents seized more than 4,800 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. Published: Jun. Meth seizures rose from 1,567pounds in fiscal year 2013 to 2,546 pounds in fiscal year 2015, and heroin rose from 150 poundsto 395pounds in the same timeframe. "Wow," Lisa Serrano, a shopper, said. Authorities arrested eight defendants Thursday named in a federal grand jury indictment alleging their involvement in a drug trafficking organization operating in Los Angeles and Riverside. March 17, 2022 Trevor Montgomery. The Southern California seizure occurred on Oct. 2, 2020 and included 893 pounds of cocaine, 13 pounds of heroin, and 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine. Thats why traffickers prefer to get the drugs here.. Updated: 10:31 PM PDT October 14, 2020. "The significant seizures thwarted drug traffickers' plans to profit from these dangerous drugs that cause incredible harm to our communities," Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt said. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. "When someone is on supervised release, the expectation is that they will refrain from committing further crimes," said Diaz. pic.twitter.com/gdeO80nGNK. Convicted Felons Arrested with a Loaded Firearm and Narcotics. They know that some will get caught, but a lot of it's going to get through.". Oct. 14, 2020. Agents from Southwest Border Group 2 began investigating a large scale drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel in SD Otay-Mesa area, allegedly involved in the transportation and delivery of large quantities of drugs. For all intents and purposes, its a proven drug dealer by the time we get up on their phones, Massino said. They wheeleda bomb-disposal robot toward the pipe, pointing a shotgun-like weapon designed to destroy any explosives inside. The biggest haul was in Perris, where DEA agents and investigators from several . Ok, mom, her daughter said, brimming with enthusiasm. Carfentanil . Between the two homes, detectives seized 25 duffle bags of drugs containing 2,200 pounds of meth, 460 kilograms of cocaine and six kilograms of heroin. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. This California farm kingdom holds a key, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, These are the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles, New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater, Gina Lollobrigida, film star who conquered Italy, Hollywood and the world, dies at 95, Storm sets new L.A. rain records. 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